A significant portion of the U.S. Population faces limited choices when it comes to internet service providers, often resulting in slow speeds, high costs and unreliable connections. A recent analysis of Consumer Reports data reveals a consistent pattern of dissatisfaction with several major ISPs, highlighting a critical need for improved service and increased competition. This report details the providers receiving the most complaints, the common issues customers face, and what potential users should consider before committing to a plan.
The Landscape of Limited Choice
According to a study by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, over a third of Americans have access to only one or zero broadband options. This lack of competition allows providers to maintain pricing and service quality without significant incentive for improvement. Common frustrations include dropped video calls, persistent buffering, unexpected fees, and lengthy wait times for customer support. The issues aren’t isolated incidents; Consumer Reports consistently receives complaints about the same companies year after year.
Viasat: Satellite Service with Limitations
Viasat positions itself as a solution for those in rural and remote areas where cable and fiber internet are unavailable. However, many customers report a frustrating experience characterized by high costs, data limits, and inconsistent performance. Plans typically range from $40 to $70 per month, significantly higher than comparable urban options. While offering coverage where few others do, Viasat’s service often falls short of expectations.
Users frequently report speeds lower than advertised, making HD streaming unreliable and large downloads slow. The inherent latency of satellite internet—due to the distance signals must travel—negatively impacts applications like online gaming and cloud-based work. Strict data caps further exacerbate the problem, with speeds drastically reduced once limits are exceeded. Customer complaints also center around confusing billing practices, lengthy contracts, and unhelpful customer service.
HughesNet: Another Satellite Option with Similar Challenges
HughesNet, like Viasat, focuses on providing satellite internet to areas lacking other broadband options. It shares many of the same drawbacks. Plans start around $40 per month, but exceeding data limits results in significant slowdowns, rendering even basic online tasks difficult. Latency remains a major issue, impacting real-time applications. Customer reviews frequently mention frustrating experiences with support and restrictive contracts.
While HughesNet provides a crucial service in underserved areas, it’s often viewed as a temporary solution rather than a long-term one. Users are advised to explore alternatives like fixed wireless or cellular home internet if available.
Regional Providers Facing Criticism
Several regional providers also appear on the list of those receiving the most complaints.
Liberty Cablevision
Serving a limited geographic area, Liberty Cablevision faces minimal competition, which appears to have led to complacency. Customers report frequent outages, poor communication during service disruptions, and inconsistent speeds. Prices range from $53 to $85 per month for cable internet that doesn’t consistently deliver on its promises.
GCI (General Communication)
GCI serves much of Alaska, a challenging environment for infrastructure development. While providing a vital service to remote communities, customers often experience high costs, inconsistent performance, and frequent service interruptions, particularly outside major population centers.
Optimum (Altice/Suddenlink)
Optimum attracts customers with low introductory prices, but these often increase significantly after the promotional period. Customers report issues with unexpected fees, unreliable service, and frustrating customer support experiences. While capable of delivering high speeds, the overall experience is often marred by these issues.
Brightspeed
A newer provider formed from older telecom companies, Brightspeed has quickly gained a reputation for poor performance and customer complaints. Customers report slow network upgrades, spotty coverage, and unresponsive customer support.
Breezeline (Atlantic Broadband)
Breezeline faces criticism for unstable network performance and unhelpful customer service. While offering potentially high speeds, the service is often unreliable, with frequent connection drops and slow speeds during peak hours. Billing issues and difficulty resolving technical problems are also common complaints.
Xtream by Mediacom
Xtream by Mediacom is criticized for restrictive data caps, slow speeds (particularly on older DSL lines), and unhelpful customer support. Customers feel they are paying a premium price for a service that doesn’t consistently deliver on its promises.
Lumen (CenturyLink)
Lumen, operating under the CenturyLink brand, receives low ratings due to slow speeds on its older DSL service, high latency, and unresponsive customer support. While investing in fiber expansion, the rollout is slow, and inconsistent.
Cox
Cox Communications delivers fast and reliable service in many areas, but its high prices and inconsistent customer support lead to widespread dissatisfaction. Customers report unexpected fees, complicated bills, and difficulty resolving issues with customer service representatives.
Methodology and Key Takeaways
This assessment is based on the Consumer Reports Winter 2025 survey, which collected feedback from over 73,000 members. The survey focused on real-world experiences, evaluating providers based on value, connection stability, speed consistency, technical support, and customer service. The findings highlight a concerning trend of poor value and inadequate support from many major ISPs. The data underscores the need for increased competition and improved service quality in the broadband market.
